Foolish Talk

Being the “foolish” bunch that we are, hardly ever do we need an excuse to throw a party. However, our fourth birthday is a pretty good reason to host an 80’s themed celebration next Thursday October 20th. With joy in our hearts, these past four years have been filled with serving fellow Tulsans, and our eyes sparkle with excitement as we look towards the future with big dreams leading the way. Thankful we are for a community that has embraced this humble little shop with open arms, and customers who have grown to become like family. So now it’s time to celebrate our appreciation of this precious caffeine enthused community, and we’re inviting the rest of you “foolish” lot to join us!

Mulled apple cider and maple lattes are just two of the fall inspired craft drinks that will warm your soul, as crooners like Bon Jovi and Queen touch your heart. A full bar will be available with all the goodies our sweet shop normally offers, alongside our newly released holiday menu that holds all the flavors your taste buds desire on a crisp October night.

Oh but don’t you worry, we’ll feed you too! Our kitchen manager, Bethany Edd, has rolled out an original menu for this very special night. An array of three different grilled cheese sandwhiches made with local cheddar from Lomah Dairy, accompanied with house made tomato and chicken tortilla soup (that Grassroots Ranch sacrificed a few plump chickens for) will be the evening’s decadent delights.

Along with our local partners, Ever Something and Retro Den will be dressing this coffee bar up for her special night. We’d like to thank establishments like Roast Magazine, La Marzocco, and Onyx Coffee Lab, Barista Magazine, Baratza and Cartel Coffee Roaster that have all graciously donated gifts for our sweet celebration. Free prizes will be given throughout the night along with a very special trophy for he or she that can dazzle us the most in their 80’s clad brilliance!

So slide on those neon leg warmers and listen to your favorite hairband anthem, because the magical decade of the 80’s is invading Foolish Things for just one night (but forever in our hearts). Doors will be open at 6:30, costumes not required but encouraged!

Blueprint Coffee is near and dear to our hearts, only a state away in St. Louis, Missouri they are roasting some of the finest coffee around. We appreciate them for consistently developing friendly yet unique coffee that is desired by the wide variety of coffee seekers who come through our doors. This week we gained a new admiration for this little roastery as I got to speak with one of the six owners Mike Marquard.

Mike got his start in this caffeine ridden industry at Kaldi’s Coffee, where the service oriented attitude and underestimated complexity of coffee convinced Mike to turn this “temporary job” into his career. Blueprint opened on September 2nd 2013 as a roastry, kitchen, and coffee bar with an intense focus on personalizing the way coffee is sourced.

Although, quality is of high priority and each coffee they serve scores 84 points or above, Blueprint only purchases coffee from farms they can develop a “mutually beneficial relationship” with. Desiring to cultivate long lasting relationships with the farms in order to benefit the industry from seed to cup. From funding tarps for a cooperative in Ethiopia to educating farmers in Columbia on the proper care of soil, Blueprint cares for the harvest from sprout to mug.

Mike will be with us this Tuesday September 13th at 6:30 to teach a class about roasting. Traveling alongside Mike is Blueprints roaster and green buyer Andrew Timko to educate us on the fine details that goes into transporting the coffee from these farms to the US. Educating us on the extremely important, yet often overlooked, life the bean has before the flame. This is Blueprints passion, and we are honored to have them share this intricate process with us.

Nicole

P.S. Mike and Andrew will be discussing their coffee adventures for around an hour, while graciously sharing some decadent brews and sending you home with a bag of your own! You can sign up on this website and reserve your spot for 30 dollars, which covers the class and coffee.

Saturday morning, as the smell of sweet coffee fills the air of our little “Foolish” establishment, one's eye could not resist but to be captured by the swirls of colors that graces our art wall. Be enchanted by the magic of acrylics as artist Laura Roderick transports you into a world where you can dance amongst the stars, be encased by a lush green forest, or simply drift amongst the deep blues of the sea. Supporting local artists is a great hobby of ours at Foolish Things, and Laura (who we see daily for her iced latte) happens to be one of our favorite creative minds to feature.

Dabbling in abstract art for the past six years, Laura has fondly found her talent as an aid to her mention process. Describing her hobby as "the way my emotions get expressed," this specific collection was birthed out of a six month slump. This undefined process lets the painting come to life on its own, as the vast imagination of the mind is free to do its bidding without any visual representation defining the work of art. Although, Laura’s art blossoms out of the inspiration of her innermost thoughts, the products are abstract allowing for each viewer to have a unique experience with each piece. Working in lively, earthy color schemes she has found that viewers are often reminiscent of the beauty of nature when admiring the canvas; these guest interpretations happens to be one of Laura’s most favorite parts.

We are honored to hold captive Laura’s collection for the next month, however all viewers are welcome to enjoy the showcase or even take one home as each piece is for sale. We always desire to help publicize and support local talent here at Foolish Things. So if you’ve found your hands full with original art, please contact our art coordinator ben at ben@foolishthingscoffee.com to set up a month dedicated to celebrating your individual talent!

At Foolish Things we aspire to everyday get more involved with our community while also encouraging others to explore all that this beautiful city has to offer. A way we have found to experience some of life’s greatest moments with our treasured guests while also helping expose the public to local talent is through hosting events. Striving to be as gracious of a host as a 1950’s house wife we put on events during and after store hours, from weddings to birthday parties and even the occasional concert we are welcome to it all! But do we have all the bells and whistles?

We find ourselves beyond fortunate to be surrounded by the most inspiring local talent while also being located in the thriving heart of Tulsa’s locally owned establishments. We utilize this exposure to our greatest advantage, upon seeking us as a venue we can equip you with all the connections you need in order to keep your guests entertained, well feed, along with every sweet moment captured. Often we find ourselves teaming up with local eateries like Andolini’s Pizza and Elote to make sure no one leaves hungry and everyone happy. Original artwork graces our wall from aspiring artist, and you can have our suggestion of many talented photographers we get the honor of calling friends. Modestly, we like to think our little shop is gorgeous enough in its raw beauty, however the old girl looks real nice dressed up and Ever Something Floral Bar will enchant our venue to fit your style. With all this said let us not forget that you are our prized guests.

We desire to give you the most comfortable, relaxed, and down right perfect experience for your cherished event. Whatever your event may be, from housing monthly meetings like Tulsa Young Professionals, to a concert to promote your band, or even your very own wedding reception like our James Markiewicz did, our doors are open wide! For booking information and more, contact our event coordinator Jessica Sprenkel at jessica@foolishthingscoffee.com, we hope to see you soon!

“It is with deepest pride and greatest pleasure that we welcome you tonight, and now we invite you to relax, let us pull up a chair…. be our guests!” – Beauty and the Beast

Nicole

P.S. Do not forget to sign up for our upcoming class, an enlightening coffee seminar from Onyx owner Jonathan Allen that you will not want to miss! Did I mention free coffee? Also, you may look a forward to a new blog posted each week on Monday!

A struggle we have found in the specialty coffee industry is the knowledge gap between the customer and the barista. At Foolish Things we desire to make fine coffee an understandable craft that anyone can enjoy. Through this aspiration, a grand idea was bornto formulate a schedule of caffeine fueled classes that are welcome to all. From the pure basics of brewing methods to all that background history of the bean before it becomes liquid in your cup, we wish to quench your thirst for coffee education!

On August 9th at 6:30 p.m. we will be holding our first class in our darling little shop, hosted by one of the region's most skilled baristas, our very own James Markiewicz with pour overs as the topic on hand. For around an hour we will do our best to enlighten our guests on the method of brewing that we use in house, formulating a cup of coffee that is light, developed, and flavorful. But to fully appreciate that cup of coffee a follow up class that explains the vast care that goes into those freshly roasted beans is necessary.

It is no secret that we at Foolish Things are huge fans of Onyx Coffee Lab, and their owner Jonathan Allen has been gracious enough to join us on August 26th at 6:30 p.m. to give some insider details. Be inspired by Jon’s passion for coffee and find yourself captivated by the care that is taken in the industry. Experience a delicious brew on a deeper level than normal, as appreciation and knowledge gives your favorite morning drink a new meaning.

If you have found yourself interested in the trade that we at Foolish Things have made our careers, you can sign up at http://www.foolishthingscoffee.com/classes/. We look a forward to sharing our passion with you all, and sending each of you home with a bag of beans to keep your love for coffee well supplied for the rest of the week!

Nicole

P.S. We here at Foolish Things adore a party! If you wish to celebrate with us visit Foolish Talk later this week to hear us plead our case on what makes our venue so special.

Our friends at Saint Frank Coffee in San Francisco have created a drink that demands respect and love from any coffee enthusiast. A simply sophisticated companionship between Q Tonic Water and decadent espresso make for a craft beverage that is sweetly chilled while also holding true to the flavor of the bean.

We here at Foolish Things hold our glasses up to the bold, those who do not cower from the new or different. The Oak n’ Blues is not for those lacking an adventurous soul, as cold brew embraces the unexpected partner of blueberry shrub. A splash of our house made blueberry drinking vinegar, crisp sparkling Topo Chico, and our famous Oak Aged Cold Brew all tango together for an elegant mint garnished dance.

Let us take you back to the rocking chair on your grandma’s porch, swaying to the summer breeze with a glass of sweet tea in your hand. But your mama’s house has been miraculously nestled on a sun kissed beach, and your cup of sweet tea has been transformed into a bubbly ginger spiced citrus infusion. Our delicious black iced tea, house made lemongrass ginger simple syrup, Topo Chico, graced with a sprig of lemon grass and lime together take our iced tea to an enhanced level called the Lemongrass Fizz.

Your favorite childhood treat is all grown up! Our Cold Brew Float is a beloved reminder of summer days spent barefoot waiting for the sweet tune of the ice cream truck, paired with one of your favorite adult indulgences. A scoop of locally made gelato from STG sits afloat a sea of our Oak Aged Cold Brew, a drink that will not only brighten your day but give you the energy to get through it!

After four years of touring with the rock band Spoken, Jonathan Allen shaved off his dreads, hung up his guitar, and traded his rock star lifestyle for a career in coffee. Embarking into a field he never anticipated to find himself in and with nothing but a distant dream fueling his expedition, Jon began his quest to get to know personally the coffee bean. Opening Anonymous Coffee in 2009, Jon used his private label coffee company to learn the trade and perfect the craft before putting his own label out for coffee snob scrutiny. Through Anonymous, the tools were given to Jon to build up an elite coffee brand that needed no certification because its name was all the reassurance needed, Onyx.

Onyx came to fruition in 2012 and has soared in popularity over the past two years (Foolish Thing’s go-to roaster). Through what Jon learned from Anonymous, a heavy focus on sourcing was set in place for Onyx, visiting the farms himself to confirm that every coffee purchased has a clean cup. For those new to coffee, clean cup means that the coffee has been harvested properly at the prime ripeness, is defect free, and contains high sugars and acids. Often Onyx pays three to four times more to the small farms producing these magnificent beans to create loyalty, and help provide for what’s needed to cultivate a consistent crop for the following year. Making the quality of the crop first priority gives Onyx head roaster, Mark Michaelson the opportunity work with coffees that harbor the sweetest flavors and can be coaxed to reach their full potential.

Padawan (Mark Michaelson) surpassed his Yoda (Jon Allen) in the art of roasting only a year into his apprenticeship, rapidly earning the title of head roaster for Onyx. Equipped with two roasters Mark has the ability to dedicate each machine to different tasks. A vintage 40 kilo roaster, Jon found rusting away at a vineyard was purchased and pieced back together then fondly nicknamed “Frankenstein.” This favorite of theirs is specifically used for their blends and higher volume coffees, manly house coffees and espressos that you can find at all three Onyx locations and often at Foolish Things. The 12 kilo roaster remains dedicated to their single origin coffees that are forever changing with the seasons to insure freshness and variety for their customers. However, the care for the beans does not stop after they come from the fire.

Cuppings are held daily at the roastery, where Onyx most skilled taste buds gather to sample each batch roasted to insure quality and remove any coffee that does not reach the standard that is Onyx. The precision, time, and effort that goes into each cup is why the Specialty Coffee Industry is worthy enough to call itself special, and Onyx works every day to make sure they make the industry proud. When asked about what made Onyx successful Jon replied “we set the bar as high as possible and dedicated ourselves to never waver from that standard, making sure that Onyx in itself stands for something.”

“Never settle for good enough” –Onyx Coffee Lab

Nicole

Stay thirsty Tulsa because our creative minds at Foolish Things are fast at work to create the most refreshingly unique drinks for these scorching summer days, and I’ll be giving out the details shortly!

Today the shop seemed to sparkle, holiday cheer swelled within, and every employee seemed to ooze with cheer. Why, you may ask? Because today at our little shop a coffee elf (you may know him as the UPS guy) swung his sleigh into our drive and delivered a most beloved gift, coffee samples. My fellow coworkers dashed about like children on Christmas morning as we prepared to brew ourselves a spectacular cup, and these fine specimen happen to be from Case Coffee Roasters all the way from the North Pole (Ashland, Oregon)!

Tim and Kati Case opened Case Coffee Roasters in 2006 when these two twenty-one year old lovebirds took a gamble and bought a vintage 1950’s roaster off Craigslist. Quickly, upon entering the industry their passion was ignited for sourcing coffee, basically they love traveling the world tasting incredibly fresh coffee and helping local farmers thrive (sounds terrible). Mrs. Case explained that this is how they remain loyal and ensure quality “with care and education of where the coffee comes from,” so the travel is truly just a perk. Gifts from secret Santa’s is just one of the many perks we in the coffee industry get year around.

Foolish Things is a multi-roaster coffee shop, meaning that we get to serve and enjoy coffees from different roasters all over the country. This adds diversity and excitement to the shop, compelling our customers to try something new one cup at a time. Receiving these glorious little gifts gives us the opportunity to truly experience firsthand how unique the industry is, as each roaster differs from the other. Our secret Santa loves “sweet, clean, and complex coffee” (drools a little), and with a mouth full of delicious coffee we are grateful.

“Integrity and care are put into every step along the way, from cherry to cup.” – Case Coffee Roasters

Nicole

P.S. Coffee elves will be delivering more Case Coffee samples to us next week and you can find them on our featured coffee list in the shop, be ready to salivate!

In the smoldering furnace that is Tulsa in June, our very own James Markiewicz has come to our rescue. The opportunities and creativity that the specialty coffee industry offers has inspired James to branch out as a coffee entrepreneur to launch Danger Cats Cold Brew Coffee: a mobile coffee company focusing on refreshing cold brew that appeals to the masses. With quality as their first priority there was only one roaster in the land that’s beans are worthy of being transformed into Danger Cats cold brew.

Onyx Coffee Lab in Northwest Arkansas has skyrocketed in popularity as the co-founder Jon Allen’s “goal is to fully develop the sugars in the coffee to completely caramelize all sugars while maintaining the integrity of what makes the bean special.” Danger Cats gravitates towards coffees Onyx sources from Central and South America for their low acidic and chocolate forward flavors. The resulting elixer is a cold brew that features a light bodied, creamy mouthfeel, with familiar flavors that are friendly to every coffee drinker.

Danger Cats Coffee launch party will be this Friday at 7pm at Studio One, just a few blocks from Foolish Things in Downtown Tulsa. Studio One may be Tulsa’s newest fitness and yoga studio, but I promise the only exercise they’ll make you do is a bicep curl to get that kickass cold brew from your hand to your face. Consider me the Willy Wonka of coffee and I am handing you the golden ticket to cold brew nirvana. Danger Cats is providing samples, free sweets, and live music for your hearty enjoyment so you have no excuse to miss! Come get to know your community and enjoy an expense free Friday night downtown!

You can find Danger Cats cold brew at Ida Red and Lone Wolf’s take out location with more places to come!

My very “foolish” boss, Justin Carpenter founder of Foolish Things Coffee Company, has bravely given me the reigns in pioneering this blogging expedition and must I say he is a man of great faith. My name is Nicole Donohue, and I happened to luckily trip into this caffeine ridden field nine months ago when I sought out my white chocolate soy latte (rolls eyes) in the land of Northwest Arkansas and fell upon a shop that dared to call itself a lab. Co-founder Andrea Allen hired my 18-year-old inexperienced self-looking as if I probably owned a Starbucks rewards card (did own one). In spite of that she gave me the opportunity to jump-start my career at Onyx Coffee Lab. At first, the specialty coffee industry seemed a lot like what I imagine Hogwarts looked like to the mundane. There were a bunch of terms, tricks, methods, and even special events where these coffee wizards got together to battle for latte art supremacy. I was utterly intimidated but the Cupid of Coffee had already struck me with his arrow. Then I was hooked, therefore my passionate affair with the specialty coffee industry began.

Adventure brought me to Arkansas but family (mostly my cat) brought me home. My love for coffee endured however, leading me to Foolish Things Coffee Shop in the heart of downtown Tulsa. With three months of experience in the coffee industry, and yet to even steam a pitcher of milk or pull a shot of espresso, Justin Carpenter decided to add me to his coffee shop family. A new passion was born within me as his love for Tulsa, local business, and craft drinks gave me an entirely fresh perspective of what an impact a little coffee shop can have on its community. Suddenly, it became less about coffee and more about the people. Caffeine fueled bean based drinks may be why we are here, but this desire to improve and unite our environment is the greater task, and I believe a simple cup of coffee can be the tool to do just that (your turn to roll your eyes). Thus, a heavy focus on what we can do for our community, how we can benefit other local shops, and ways we can share our love for Tulsa to others is our mission. So you all are stuck with me, an aspiring journalist who likes to wear the title of barista, is your guide. Yoda to your Luke Skywalker or Gandalf to your Bilbo Baggins as we embark on this adventure to explore downtown Tulsa, passionate roasters, talented artist, and most of all fine coffee.

Stay tuned because there is something so cold and delicious rising up in Tulsa that it is downright dangerous and I have the inside scoop!

So it’s been a little while since we last posted to the blog (almost 4 years in fact) and we have decided to reboot it! There is so much going on now at Foolish Things and rather than jam up our entire shop with random info cards, we thought it time to turn to this more appropriate outlet. While we’ve seen many changes we’ve also been able to distill our identity down to one succinct phrase: pursuing excellence in craft and hospitality. This is the noble mantra we pursue, but it is tempered with the name Foolish Things. That name is what keeps us grounded; without it we could easily float off to the realm pretentious and snobbish coffee shops. We want to have a good time and we want you to join us. The more the merrier right??

So it is through this lens we approach our blog. we not only hope to go down the rabbit hole of the craft of coffee and our relation to it, but we also will celebrate the people across the city and country who are doing incredible things the right way. We’ll introduce our staff, our roasters, and even some bad ass companies you need to check out. Hope you enjoy… and even if you don’t, this is cathartic for us, so we’re going to keep doing it.

The day we talked about is now upon us. We are only a few weeks away from opening our doors to the public and we could not be more excited! The final details are getting worked out and our building is starting to take shape. Take a look below to see for yourself!

As you may notice we have done away with the plate glass and are in the process of upgrading our windows!

Framing for what we affectionately call the bar cloud.

And the finished cloud!

Now thats all you get until the grand opening (which is just around the corner)!